Holder and dispenser for collapsible tube



HOLDER AND DISPENSER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed June 1, 1964 2o T 2?- 16/ 1, l `/"/"I7`7//J`Zuf7`7f77//HMI/ h' 25/ I lo' 15' -4-6 l I3' FIG. 4

////////\///////// BY f 24 FIG. 6 25 I6 I4 I7 IB l5 I6 3 1N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,203,596 HOLDER AND DISPENSER FOR COLLAPSIBLE T BE Isaac F. Davidson, 15404 SE. Wallace Road, Portland, Oreg. Filed June 1, 1964, Ser. No. 371,390 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-103) This invention relates in general to dispensing means for containers comprising collapsible tubes, and relates' more particularly to dispensers for the conventional collapsible tubes used as containers for toothpaste, shaving cream, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified holder and dispenser for such collapsible tube which, when in normal inoperative position, will hold the tube firmly, and which, when operated in one direction, will cause a desired amount of the tube contents to be discharged through the outlet neck of the tube, but which, when operated in the other direction, will enable the position of the tube in the device to be adjusted to compensate for the withdrawal of the contents from the .tube or enable the tube to be removed entirely from the device.

A related further object of the invention is to provide a novel holder and dispenser of very simple construction for such a collapsible tube which can be operated with one hand by the user, and which will include a special lever assembly, enabling the contents of the tube to be squeezed out from the neck of the tube as desired, and also enabling the position of the tube to be shifted in the device when required, when linger pressure is exerted upon the lever assembly.

A further object is to provide a practical and simplified holder and dispenser for collapsible tubes which can be produced very inexpensively and thus meet a market demand for such dispensers which other more complicated and more expensive devices of a similar nature have failed to satisfy.

The manner in which the improved and simplified holder and dispenser of the present invention is constructed and operated will be briey described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the holder and dispenser showing a partially emptied toothpaste tube being held in the same, the device being in the normal tube-holding position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3*-3 of FIG. 1 drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, similar in part to FIG. 3 but showing the device being operated to dispense toothpaste from the tube;

FIG. 5 is a similar fragmentary sectional elevation but showing the device being operated for enabling the position of the tube to be shifted on the device; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse section on the line indicated at 6-6 of FIG. 5.

In the figures the collapsible tube is indicated by the reference character T, the tube being of well-known shape and construction, such as an ordinary toothpase tube, for example, and thus needing no further description.

The holder and dispenser includes a base plate 10 of metal or plastic or any other suitably rigid material. A substantially trough-shaped operating lever assembly, indicated in general by the reference character 11, is hingedly or rockably mounted on the base plate and includes a pressure plate 12, extending forwardly and upwardly from the bottom portion of the lever assembly, and in integral lifting lever plate 13, extending rearwardly and upwardly from the bottom portion of the assembly, and a pair of side brackets 14 and 15 formed integral with, or rigidly secured to the respective side edges of the pressure plate 12 and lifting lever plate 13 at the bottom portion of the lever assembly.

A U-shaped spring member 16 is mounted on the top of the base plate 10 in the location shown in FIG. 2 and has its free ends 17 and 18 turned inwardly at right angles and so arranged as to extend through apertures in the side brackets 14 and 15 respectively. This spring member 16 is held in place on the base plate 1G by two pairs of opposed rear lugs 19 and 211, and by a pair of right angle clamps 21 and 22 mounted at opposite sides respectively. As apparent from the figures, these clamps 21 and 22 cause the free ends 17 and 1S of the spring member 16 to exert a constant pressure downwardly towards the base plate 10.

The side brackets 14 and 1S are formed with rearwardly extending cam-edged portion 14 and 15. However the front bottom edge portions of these side brackets do not extend below the upwardly curving lower portion of the bottom face of the front pressure plate 12.

The holes in the side brackets 14 and 15 through which the ends 17 and 18 of the spring member extend are so positioned that the lever assembly 11, when not being operated, will be held by the spring ends 14 and 15 in the normal position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In 4such position, the lever assembly will be held down on the portion of the flattened tube immediately beneath the lever assembly and thus in such position serve to hold the tube in place on the base plate 10. However manual movement of the lever assembly 11, causing the assembly to rock in either direction will cause the ends 17 and 18 of the spring member 16 to be lifted and consequently such rocking of the lever assembly will take place only against the force exerted by the spring ends.

When it is desired to squeeze contents out from the tube T the operator exerts finger pressure on the top of the pressure plate portion 12. 1For convenience, the top end of this portion 12 is preferably formed with an enlarged rounded contact edge 23. Downward pressure on this contact edge 23, by rocking the lever assembly forwardly, causes the underside of the pressure plate 12 to engage the adjacent upwardly sloping surface of the tube and thus exert squeezing pressure on this area of the tube. Such downward pressure on the Contact edge 23 of the pressure plate 12 can conveniently be exerted, for example, by the thumb of the operator while the device is being held in one hand of the operator. When such thumb or linger pressure on the pressure plate 12 is released, the lever assembly 11 will immediately return to the normal position of FIGS. 1 and 3 under the force exerted by the spring ends 17 and 18, thus holding the tube in place on the device without causing further dispensing of the contents from the tube.

When the lever assembly has returned to normal inoperative position, after part of the contents has been squeezed out from the tube in this manner, it will be necessary to shift the tube on the device with respect of the lever assembly. To accomplish this the operator then exerts finger pressure on the lifting lever plate 13, the top end of which preferably is narrowed into an upwardly obliquely extending tongue 13'. Finger pressure on the tongue 13 causes the lever assembly to be rocked rear-- wardly on the cam-edged portions 14', 1S of the side brackets 14, 15, as illustrated in FIG. 5, which results in lifting the bottom, tube-engaging portion of the lever assembly from contact with the underlying tube. This enables the tube to be slid rearwardly on the device in preparation for the removal of more contents from the tube. Similarly when the tube is to be removed entirely from the device, or when the rear end of a new tube is to be set in place on the device, the pressuring down of the tongue 13', by raising the tube-engaging portion of the lever assembly, enables the llattened portion of the tube to be moved beneath the lever assembly. The side brackets 14, 15 are spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the llattened tube and consequently the cam edges 14. 1S engages the top of the base plate It) but do not contact the collapsible tube.

It will be noted that at most only a restricted amount of the contents can be squeezed out from .the tube by pressing down on the pressure plate 12, and after the pressing down of the presure plate 12 has resulted in the dispensing of some of the contents from the tube, the device cannot be operated to cause more of the contents to be squeezed from the tube until the position of the tube is shifted on the device with respect to the rockable lever assembly. Thus repeated pressing down -on the lever .plate 12, such as might take place by a child playing with the device, will not result in any excessive amount of the material being discharged from the tube since, after the restricted amount has been discharged, it is necessary then to adjust the lposition of the tube on the device in the manner described.

As previously indicated the device can be conveniently operate-d entirely in one hand by the operator. Unlike some of the other tube holders an-d dispensers, it does not `have to be mounted on a wall or secured to any special fixture. Preferably the base plate 10 is formed with a pair of side hars 24 and l25 on the underside of the base plate on opposite edges respectively. These base bars enable the extreme end section of the flattened used portion of the tube to be Lfolded around under the base plate in the event the flattened use portion extends back beyond the end of the base plate. For this reason the base plate need be only of moderate leng-th and the unsightly appearance of a long flattened used end portion of the tube is avoided. As apparent, the device with the collapsible tube held thereon can `be set down on any flat sur-face when not in use. ln view of the simplicity of the construct-ion, the device can he produced at very moderate cost.

Iclaim:

1. In a holder and dispenser for collapsible tubes of the character described, a base plate, a substantially trough-shaped operating lever assembly attached to said base plate, a pressure plate portion in said assembly extending forwardly and upwardly vfrom the bottom portion of said assembly, a lifting lever plate extending rearwardly and upwardly 'from .the bottom portion in said assembly, a pair of rearwardly extending cam elements located at opposite sides of the bottom portion et said assembly respectively spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the llattened portion of la collapsible tube on which the device is used Iand engaging said base plate when said assembly is tilted rearwardly, and a spring hinge mounting for the bottom portion of said assembly on said base plate constantly exerting a force urging the bottom portion Iof said assembly against said base plate.

2. A holder and dispenser for collapsible tubes including a base plate, a substantially trough-shaped operating lever assembly attached to said base plate, a pressure plate portion in said assembly extending forwardly and upwardly from the bottom portion of said assembly, a lifting lever plate extending rearwardly and upwardly from the .bottom portion in said assembly, a pair of parallel side brackets on the sides of the bottom portion of said assembly respectively, the spacing lbetween said brackets being greater than the width of the flattened portion of the collapsible tube on which the device is used, said `brackets having rearwardly extending cam edge portions adapted for engagement with said base plate when Said `assembly is tilted rearwardly, hinge means connecting said assembly to said base plate, spring means included in said hinge means constantly' exerting a force urging the bottom portion of said assembly against said base plate, whereby manual .pressure .on said lifting lever plate tilting said assembly rearwardly will raise said assembly against .the force ot said spring means and enable 4the flattened end of a collapsible tube to be moved beneath said assembly on said base plate, while subsequent release of pressure on said lifting lever plate will cause said assembly to hold the tube in place against said base plate, and whereby said forwardly extending pressure plate portion of said assembly can :be used ifor dispensing contents from the tube in position on said base plate.

3. A holder and dispenser for collapsible tubes comprising a base plate, a substantially trough-shaped operating lever assembly attached to said base plate, a pressure plate portion in said assembly extending forwardly and upwardly from the bottom portion of said assembly, a lifting lever plate extending rearwardly and upwardly from the bottom portion in said assembly, a pair of parallel side `brackets on the sides ot the bottom portion of said assembly respectively, the spacing between said brackets being greater .than the width of the flattened portion of the collapsible tube on which the device is used, said brackets having rearwardly extending earn edge portions adapted for engagement with said base plate when said assembly is tilted rearwardly, a pair of spring arms mounted on said base plate having inwardly extending end 4portions engaging said brackets respectively forming a spring hinge for said assembly [and constantly exerting a force urging the bottom portion of said assembly against said base plate, whereby manual pressure on said lifting lever plate tilting said assembly rearwardly will raise said assembly against the force of .said spring arms and enable the attened end of a collapsible tube to be moved beneath said assembly on said base plate and subsequent release of pressure on said liting lever plate will cause said assembly to hold the tube in place against said base plate, and whereby said forwardly extending pressure plate portion ot said assembly can be used for dispensing contents from the tube in position on said base plate.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 lwith the addition of a pair of side .bars extending along on the side edges of the bottom face of the base plate respectively and spaced apart a distance greater than the width of a flattened tube for enabling the end of a flattened tube extending beyond said base plate to .be housed beneath said base plate between said bars.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,138 l/l7 Glasow et al 222-103 X 2,260,346 10/41 Spencer 222-103 2,340,681 2/44 Oursler 222-105 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A HOLDER AND DISPENSER FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A BASE PLATE, A SUBSTANTIALLY TROUGH-SHAPED OPERATING LEVER ASSEMBLY ATTACHED TO SAID BASE PLATE, A PRESSURE PLATE PORTION IN SAID ASSEMBLY EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY, A LIFTING LEVER PLATE EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION SAID ASSEMBLY, A PAIR OF REARWARDLY EXTENDING CAM ELEMENTS LOCATED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY RESPECTIVELY SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE FLATTENED PORTION OF A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ON WHICH THE DEVICE IS USED AND ENGAGING SAID BASE PLATE WHEN SAID ASSEMBLY IS TILTED REARWARDLY, AND A SPRING HINGE MOUNTING FOR THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY ON SAID BASE PLATE CONSTANTLY EXERTING A FORCE URGING THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY AGAINST SAID BASE PLATE. 